Loom.



H. LINDSAY.

LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1907 Patented Nov. 10,1908.

J4, Mimi/w NITED STATES- FFTQE.

HAMILTON LINDSAY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINDSAY WIRE WEAVING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, 01-110, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LOOIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be .it known that I, HAMILTON LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Looms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to looms employed for weaving wire cloth.

In such looms as have been constructed heretofore, long springs are employed beneath the ends of the picker-staffs for the purpose of throwing the shuttle. It has been found that these springs frequently break, and the heavy particles thereof strike the wire cloth, breaking the same and causing considerable loss of time and money.

The object of this invention is to provide looms of this character with improved means for operating the picker-staffs, which means shall not only be free from the objections noted, but shall be provided with simple and eflicient adjusting mechanism whereby the tension exerted upon the picker-staffs may be quickly and conveniently varied.

A further object of the invention is an improvement upon the cable by means of which the picker-staffs are returned to position for operating the shuttles.

Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements embodied in the claims hereto annexed and illustrated, in one form, in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a loom constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detail of one end of the batten-beam and associated parts; and Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail of the spring and the adjusting mechanism therefor by means of which the picker-staff is operated.

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1 represents the loom frame, the same comprising upright members 2, battenframe 3, guide roller 4 and cloth-beam 5, with other parts to be referred to hereinafter.

6 denotes a pair of picker-stafis pivoted to opposite ends of the batten-frame; 7 denotes a cable for operating the picker-staff in one direction in a well-known manner.

8 denotes the lay, 9 the shuttle-race and 10 the shuttle-boxes.

11 and 12 denote the heddle-frames, supported from rock-shaft 13 by arms 14: and 15 respectively.

The construction thus far described, with the exception of the cable, is substantially identical with that illustrated in my Patent No. 713,112 issued June 16, 1903.

In order to avoid the liability of breakage of the long springs which have been employed heretofore for the purpose of operating the picker-staffs as well as to provide convenient means for adjusting the tension exerted upon said staffs in operating the shuttles, I have provided the following construction z-From the opposite ends of the battenframe project guide- Ways or yokes 16. These yokes are of a width to receive the inner ends of the upper arms 6 of the picker-staffs. Each arm 6 is provided at its inner end with a roller 6. This roller is carried between the forks of the arm 6 and said arm has pivoted at the end thereof a guard 17 in the form of a clevis the lower ends of which are rigidly connected to the ends of the forks at substantially right angles to said arm. The upper end of yoke or guide-way 16 is provided with a buffer 18, of rubber or similar material, against which the guard 17 impinges.

19 denotes an operating arm for 6, said arm 19 being forked, as shown in Fig. 3 and having the outer or free end thereof provided with a block 20 inserted between the ends of the forks and adapted to bear against the roller 6 The inner or pivot end of arm 19 is supported by an upright 21 secured to and projecting upwardly from the battenframe.

22 denotes a spiral spring which is supported at its lower end from the batten-' frame and is connected at its upper end to arm 19 intermediate of the ends thereof, by means of a bolt 23 extending through a lug on a plate 24. The lower end of 2a is provided with a downwardly extending cylindrical projection 25 adapted to fit within the upper end of the spiral and prevent displacement thereof. The lower end of spring 22 is supported by the base plate 26 having at the center thereof a short upwardly cylindrical projection 27 similar to projection 25 and adapted to fit within the lower end of the spiral to prevent displacement thereof.

Plate 26 is supported from batten-frame 3 by means of a plurality of screw-bolts 28, the lower ends whereof rest on said frame and are provided with heads 29, whereby they may be screwed into or withdrawn from plate 26 more or less to vary the tension of spring 22. To prevent displacement of base plate 26 along the batten-frame, I provide a bolt 30 which is threaded through said frame with its upper end projecting into a recess in the base plate. Screws 28 and 30 are provided respectively with lock-nuts 31 and 32.

The construction described provides effective means for operating the picker-staffs without the liability to breakage that exists in the case of the long springs that have been used heretofore. The arms 19, being of metal, are unlikely to break and, even should they do so, the liability to damage thereby is small, as outer ends of the same are confined between the forks of the guides or yokes 1G and the inner ends thereof are pivotally connected to the uprights 21. The means for supporting the springs 22 provide a simple and effective adjustment whereby the tension of said springs may be varied as occasion may require.

In looms of this character with which I am acquainted, it has been customary to employ a wire cable for the purpose of returning the picker-staff 6 to the position shown on the left-hand side of Fig. 1, said cables being engaged by heavy iron pulleys. In place of such cables and such iron pulleys I employ for cable 7 a raw hide strap and a light wooden pulley 33. The upper end of the strap is pivoted between the forks of arm 6 by means of a shackle or clevis 34:, the upper end of the raw hide strap being pivotally secured to said clevis or shackle by means of a swivel connection 35 permitting movements of the upper endof the strap in planes at right angles to each other. The construction described provides in effect a universal joint between strap 7 and arm 6 which will accommodate the movements of said strap without any twisting of the same. Owing to the lightness of the pulley 33, there is less wear on the strap thereby, there being less inertia of the pulley to be overcome on the reversal of the direction of said strap. Fur thermore, in operation, strap 7 leaves the surface of the pulley during a part of its upward excursion, which further reduces the wear thereon. In addition to these advantages, the strap is more flexible than the steel cable which has been used heretofore.

By the construction herein described, it

I will be apparent that I have provided simple and effective means whereby the pickerstaft's may be operated without liability to the breakage of parts and the destruction of.

the expensive finished product of. the loom. ll urthermore, the means for operating said picker-stalfs is conveniently adjusted and is not liable to derangement, while the construction for moving the picker-staffs in the opposite direction is likewise simple in construction and effective in operation, constituting a marked improvement over the constructions heretofore employed for that purpose, substantially as specified.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a loom, the combination'of a battenframe, picker staffs in the form of bell cranks supported thereby, and means for throwing said staffs, said means comprising a pivoted arm engaging each of said staffs, and a spring operatively engaging each of said arms, substantially as specified.

2. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff carried thereby, and means for throwing said staff, said means comprising a yoke or guide for the operating portion of said staff, a pivoted arm engaging such portion within said yoke or guide, and a spiral spring engaging said arm, substantially as specified.

3. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff carried thereby, and means for throwing said staff, said means comprising a pivoted arm engaging said staif, and a spiral spring engaging said arm intermediate of the pivot and the free end thereof, substantially as specified.

4. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff pivoted thereto and having an operating portion, a yoke or guide for the operating portion of the staff, said yoke or guide having a buffer, a pivoted arm having a portion engaging the operating portion of said staff, and a spring for operating said arm, substantially as specified.

5. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff pivoted thereto and having an operating portion, a guide or yoke for said operating portion of thestaif, a roller carried by said operating portion, a guard eX limit the upward movement of said arm, an :1

operating arm for the picker-staff having an end projecting into said yoke beneath the picker-staff, and a spring for operating said arm, substantially as specified.

7. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-stafi' pivoted thereto and having an inwardly projecting arm, a second arm operating the former'a'rm, said second arm being pivoted at one end and having the free end engaging said arm, a spiral spring engaging the latter arm intermediate of the ends thereof, and means for adjusting the force of said spring, substantially as specified.

8. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff pivoted thereto, and means for throwing said staff, said means comprising a pivoted arm adapted to engage said staff, a spiral spring beneath said arm and connected thereto, a plate for the lower end of said spring, and means for adjusting said plate, substantially as specified.

9. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker staff pivoted thereto and having an operating arm, a second arm pivotally supported from said frame and having a portion engaging the operating arm, a spiral spring connected at its upper end to the latter arm, a base plate for said spring, and means for adjusting said plate, said means comprising screws extending therethrough and bearing on said frame, and a screw threaded to said frame and having its upper end fitting a recess in said base plate, substantially as specified.

10. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff having an operating arm, a second arm pivotally supported from said frame and having a portion engaging the &

operating arm, a spiral spring connected at its upper end to the latter arm, a base plate for sald spring, and means for ad ust1ng said plate, said means comprising screws extending therethrough and bearing on said frame, and means preventing displacement of said plate, substantially as specified.

11. In a loom, the combination of a pickerstalf having a forked operating arm, a shackle pivotally secured between the forks of said arm, a strap pivoted to the shackle on a pivot at right angles to the pivot first mentioned, and a pulley with which said strap engages.

12. In a loom, the combination of a frame, a picker-staff pivoted thereto, and having an operating arm at an angle to the throwing arm, a pivoted arm having its free end adjacent to the free end of said operating arm, a spring acting on said pivoted arm, and a roller carried by one of said arms against which the other bears.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HAMILTON LINDSAY.

Witnesses J. B. HULL, Bruin NAN B. EST. 

